Serving the church

Bookstore provides ‘quality, meaningful service’

CHERYL GREEN, director of constituent services for UpWords Ministries, the Bible teaching ministry of Max Lucado, reflects on the history of the church store that helped to launch the author’s bookselling ministry.

Tell us about the UpWords Bookstore at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio. How did the store get started, and how do you function in conjunction with the church?

The UpWords Bookstore at Oak Hills is one facet of the UpWords ministry. About 20 years ago, a trusted member of Oak Hills Church named Gordon Carruth voluntarily began a small bookselling operation as a service to church members and visitors interested in purchasing books written by their new, young minister, Max Lucado. Together, Gordon and Max coined the name UpWords, and the bookstore consisted of a few folding tables in the corner of the church foyer. 

When the church moved to a new building where space was designated for a bookstore, Gordon retired, and Oak Hills Church leadership asked UpWords Ministries to take on the fiscal responsibility of the bookstore, and we were happy to do so.

What types of books do you carry?

In the early days, UpWords carried only books by Max Lucado. Gradually, a few other titles were added, and the product mix greatly expanded when a store location was designed in the new building at Oak Hills Church. Although guests in our store can find a full line of Lucado books, we hope to meet other expectations of our customers as well. We try to keep all titles that appear on the CBA lists for top sellers along with a variety of Bibles and study resources.

In the last several years, you've built up your offering of gift products. How does this fit into your overall strategy?

Our most popular item on any given weekend is the actual sermon message on CD. The church's technology team quickly duplicates the message and makes it available for purchase immediately following the service. Like many small retail bookstores, we also feel the impact of digital sales, both in music and books. Adding a carefully selected line of gifts has helped bring traffic to the store and provided a service to our customer base. 

In addition to the most popular music CDs, we try to stock music by guest worship leaders as well as the music enjoyed in our children's Bibleland programs. We have greeting cards and gift items, including some of the top-selling inspirational lines from Demdaco and DaySpring.

How many square feet is your store? How do you maximize the space?

Our store is approximately 1,000 square feet. The majority of space is taken for bookshelves, which fill the center of the store. The three perimeter walls contain best-sellers, children's books and gifts items. We have racks up front for music, greeting cards and more gifts. It's definitely a challenge to use our space to its best advantage. 

You've been selling books through MaxLucado.com for years. What advice do you have for Christian retailers and church bookstores looking to branch out into online stores?

We love offering Max's full product line both to constituents who visit our online store as well as those who call in or write to the ministry. We've certainly seen competition for Internet sales increase over the years. We realize we don't provide all the options of the Internet superstores, and we don't market as well as they do. However, we offer personal attention and knowledge of the products. We'll continue to sell online as long as it's a viable option for UpWords to do so. Anyone considering the launch of an online store should meticulously research all the factors. Staying upgraded and meeting the expectation of online shoppers can be tricky.

How does your online shopping offering compare with the physical store?

MaxLucado.com is limited to Max Lucado titles and a very select few others such as Karen Hill, Max's executive editor, and his daughter, Jenna Lucado Bishop. We have tried to define and stay within our niche in both areas of e-commerce and church bookstore. While both produce revenue that is beneficial to UpWords Ministries, providing a quality, meaningful service to our constituents is our primary motivation.

Publishers provide an alternative that connects with YA readers

From fantasy to fairy tale and sci-fi to Steampunk, the Young Adult genre covers a broad range of fiction types—not all of which have yet entered the Christian market. With general market series such as “The Hunger Games” and “Harry Potter” appealing to teens, Christian publishers are offering alternative titles from YA authors, including Robert Liparulo, Nancy Rue, Stephanie Perry Moore , Melody Carlson, Sigmund Brouwer, Donita K. Paul and Lisa Bergren.

“If you connect with a reader during this time period, you may have made a lifelong connection,” said Shannon Marchese, senior editor, fiction at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group. “The way to do so is to tell them a life-changing story and give them an author they can trust.”  

Not one particular type of book is associated with YA readers, but rather genres including science fiction, supernatural, action/adventure, everyday teen life and dystopian, said Becky Monds, associate editor at Thomas Nelson.

At Zondervan, paranormal is a subgenre that the company is making a “serious effort” to publish, said Annette Bourland, senior vice president and publisher, trade and Zonderkidz. 

Subtitled “What If Following Your Heart Meant Losing Your Soul,” Halflings by Heather Burch is “the classic story of good versus evil, but offers a very satisfying read without the vulgarity often found in mainstream publishing,” Bourland said, noting that the second in the trilogy, Guardian, comes out this month.

Zondervan also recently published its first dystopian novel, Replication by Jill Williamson, which examined the moral and ethical issues of cloning. 

Author Kat Heckenbach (Finding Angel, Splashdown Books) doesn’t find a “message of despair and hopelessness,” in dystopian fiction, as many expect to find, but just the opposite, she said. “I think dystopian fiction is popular because it sends the message that no matter how bad things get, there is always hope—and that teens have real power in seemingly hopeless situations.” 

Jenny B. Jones, a Thomas Nelson author, sees dystopian as a reflection of our times.

“Times are hard all around, from the economy to the environment to the government, and right now our literature reflects that, but in a hyper-developed way,” she said. “And there is always a thread of reality in these dystopians. The plot might seem far-fetched (a world where the ability to love is surgically removed, for example), but what a lot of dystopians do well is make it within the realm of possibility. Our tweens and teens are really thinking about their world, and dystopian is a natural reflection of that.” 

BEYOND DYSTOPIAN

While dystopian is still a strong seller, “novels with ‘everyday’ teens, set in our own time are making a comeback,” said Monds. “These typically deal with heavier topics, like cancer, death and suicide.”

Nicole O’Dell based her “Diamond Estates” series on her experience as a resident at Teen Challenge as a teenager. In The Shadowed Onyx (Barbour Publishing, December), 17-year-old Joy Christianson faces depression after her best friend commits suicide, but seeks help at a home for troubled teens.

Appealing primarily to male readers, Andrew Klavan brings action to the fore with his high-stakes adventures, including Crazy Dangerous from Thomas Nelson.

“His novels are impossible to put down and appeal to that hard-to-reach audience of teen boys,” Monds said.

In an altogether different subcategory, Zondervan has seen success with one of its young authors in historical fiction. 

“Perhaps one of our biggest rock stars is 16-year-old author Rachel Coker,” said Bourland, noting that Coker’s Interrupted was well-received by reviewers. “Rachel’s story is rooted in the Christian marketplace. She is homeschooled and her parents once were independent CBA retail owners.”

Coker’s next work, Chasing Jupiter, set in the 1960s, is slated for publication in January.

Looking into the supernatural is Karyn Henley’s forte in the “Angelaeon Circle” series, which includes Breath of Angel and Eye of the Sword, from WaterBrook Press. 

Thomas Nelson also looks into the world of angels with new voice Shannon Dittemore, who made her debut with Angel Eyes. 

“What I love about her stories is that her main character is a teen girl, like any teen girl, who has her eyes opened to a world of angels and demons that she didn’t even know existed,” Monds said.

Fairy tales are also prevalent in pop culture these days—in TV, movies and books, Burch noted. Shellie Neumeier (Driven, Risen Fiction), agreed, citing Melanie Dickerson’s work that “retells classic fairy tales with a twist. Her books appeal to the romantic side, but they take on social injustices at the same time.”

CREATING ‘BOOK TALKERS’

Zondervan’s success in YA has come with works “that have rich character development, interesting plot lines and a sense of exploration, meaning teens are not fed didactic answers about life and religion,” Bourland said.

“The most important element is to make sure the author does not talk down to the reader,” Monds said. “A teenager can smell condescension from a mile away. And if you are trying to preach something? Forget it. It is also important to relate to them where they are. Connect with some of the issues they are faced with on a daily basis. And finally, it has be a page-turner. The stakes have to be impossibly high, leaving the reader with no option but to stay up late into the night to finish the novel.”

Diana Sharples, author of Running Lean (Zondervan, May 2013), pointed out that YA novels have to written “almost as if they were written by a teenager. A stroke of death for a teen novel is to have an adult step in to solve the character’s problems!”

The genre presents a challenge for marketers, said Katie Bond, publicity manager at Thomas Nelson.

“We must meet youth where they are, finding ways for great stories to be shared among peers and for authors to connect authentically with young audiences—respecting these intelligent young audiences who are exposed to more influences than any previous generation,” she said. “And we must simultaneously gain the respect of gatekeepers like parents, educators, school librarians. 

“But it’s worth it. When books capture the attention of youth and their parents, series can become family reads.  Our authors’ favorite fan letters come from youth who report that they had to fend off a parent for first dibs to read a copy of the latest offering from a YA author.”

Retailers must reach the parents of YA readers. Citing the 2010 Bowker PubTrack report The Children’s Book Consumer in the Digital Age, Bourland said that “79% of teens have read a book given to them by a parent,” and Bowker Market Research from fall 2011 reported that “60% of parents are considered ‘top sources of book discovery.’ ” 

Getting the YA reader into the bookstore can be a challenge and is an invitation that must be issued, Bourland believes. It’s important to offer a varied selection of titles, too, she said, sounding a note of caution: “Make certain this area isn’t placed with the children’s section.” 

Once you have the young people on board, Jones said: “So much of YA is sold by word of mouth. There are no bigger ‘book talkers’ than your YA audience.”

Grace-shaped retailing

Grace. We talk as though we understand the term. The bank gives us a grace period. The seedy politician falls from grace. Musicians speak of a grace note. We describe an actress as gracious, a dancer as graceful. We use the word for hospitals, baby girls, kings and pre-meal prayers. We talk as though we know what grace means.

But do we really understand it? Have we settled for a wimpy grace that politely occupies a phrase in a hymn, fits nicely on a church sign? It never causes trouble or demands a response.

But God’s grace is greater than the labels we’ve put on it and more powerful than we can describe. It has a drenching about it. A wildness about it. A white-water, riptide, turn-you-upside-downness about it. Grace comes after us. It rewires us.

The grace of God changes us and shapes us. Strengthens and softens us. Snatches us by the nape of the neck and shakes us to our senses.

It changes everything.

Including the way we run bookstores.

May I offer a few thoughts on grace-shaped retailing?

Resting in Grace

Are you working hard?

I don’t even need to ask. I know the answer to that. We all are.

It seems to me that bookstore owners and staff work harder than most. Long days on your feet. Wide smiles for even the snappiest customers. Lifting boxes of heavy books. Recommending Lucado titles.

It’s an unending cycle. We race. We run. Work weeks drag like Arctic winters. Monday mornings show up on Sunday night. We slug our way through long lines and long hours with faces made long by the long lists of things we need to do, customers we try to please, websites we need to upgrade or gadgets we need to buy.

Every time we catch our breath, someone else needs something else. Another task master cracks his whip.

And we’re tired. We’re worn out and weary. We’re worried.

The work continues, and it’s important work, this spreading the good news of the gospel through written words and recorded music. Sharing words of the hope found in Christ alone is essential.

And I bet sometimes it feels a little never-ending.

So the grace-shaped retailer finds rest in the one place where it can be found. In the arms of God.

Take this one worry of your place. You don’t have to wonder if you’re doing enough to please God. Of all the things in life you have to earn, his unending affection is not one of them. You have it. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.

You can rest in that.

And you can rest in the work that God’s grace is doing in your life.

Relying on Grace

If you’re having a hard time resting in grace, maybe you’re having a hard time relying on grace. Maybe your view is a little small and your understanding a little bit little.

Grace is simply another word for God’s tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection. It comes at us not occasionally or miserly, but constantly and aggressively, wave upon wave. Grace upon grace.

May I use my friends Heather Sample and Kyle Sheets as an example? This father and daughter joined a team of medical missionaries treating AIDS patients in Zimbabwe. While this wasn’t Kyle’s first medical mission trip, it was the first time his hand had been cut during surgery. The first time he’d been directly exposed to the AIDS virus.

Heather urged Kyle to immediately begin the anti-retroviral treatment in order to prevent HIV infection. Both knew the treatment wasn’t without side effects. Within hours, he was violently ill as they faced a 40-hour trip back to the States.

By the time they boarded their transatlantic flight from South Africa, Kyle was having trouble breathing and was unable to sit up. Incoherent. Eyes yellowed. Liver enlarged and painful. Both doctors recognized the symptoms of acute liver failure. Heather felt the full weight of her father’s life on her shoulders.

Several minutes into the flight Kyle drifted off to sleep. Heather made her way to the bathroom where she slumped on the floor in a fetal position, wept and prayed, I need help.

Before long a concerned passenger knocked on the door asking if she was OK. She told him she was a doctor. His face brightened as he explained that he and 99 of the other passengers were physicians as well. One hundred physicians from Mexico were on the flight, one of them a top-tier infectious disease specialist, who offered to evaluate and watch Kyle while Heather rested.

Kyle is now fully healed, but with an amazing story of God’s provision and protection. Can you imagine 100 doctors right there, just when he needed them?

Maybe your transatlantic flight isn’t illness. Maybe it’s the red ink in the ledger. The dishonest employee. The downturn in the economy or the spike in rent.

Sustaining grace meets us at our point of need and equips us with courage, wisdom and strength. It surprises us in the middle of our personal transatlantic flights with ample resources of faith. Sustaining grace does not promise the absence of struggle, but the presence of God in it.

Rely on God’s grace to show up. It will.

Giving Grace

Relying on grace means accepting it. And to accept grace is to accept the vow to give it. Grace doesn’t stop with us. It pours out of us into even life’s hardest situations.

We all know the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. We heard it in Sunday school, maybe even saw the flannel-graph version. Maybe in high school or college you even acted out a modern-day version of the foot-washing.

Jesus—CEO, head coach, king of the world, sovereign of the seas—washed the feet of his disciples in the Upper Room.

Feet with heels and toenails. Bunions and fungus. Corns and calluses. Some maybe large enough to warrant a zip code.

And Jesus touched them. He touched the stinky, ugly parts of his disciples. Knowing he could arch an eyebrow or clear his throat and every angel in the universe would snap to attention. Knowing that all authority was His, He exchanged His robe for the servant’s wrap, lowered himself to knee level and began to rub away the grime, the grit and grunge of a long journey.

And he didn’t pass a single man. He didn’t skip Peter, who would deny Him. He didn’t pass Judas, who would betray Him.

And that water still washes feet. Look down. If you’ve accepted God’s grace, your feet are wet too.

But receiving grace isn’t the end of the story. It wasn’t for the disciples and it’s not for you. Grace is a two-way street where we receive it and then give it to others.

Is it tempting to be stingy with grace? Of course. Hurts run deep. Rude customers. Demanding vendors. Angry coworkers.

But as we consider the amount of grace poured out on us, giving it—even to the rude, demanding and angry—becomes not only easier, but essential.

If grace were a wheat field, God has bequeathed you the state of Kansas. Can’t you share your grace with others?

So, I leave you with an essential question. Is your retailing shaped by grace? Are you resting in grace, relying on grace and giving it out as generously as you’re receiving it? If you find yourself weary, quick to snap or slow to offer a smile to a customer this week, would you remember that God’s grace is greater than the toughest situation you’re facing? Rest, rely and give.

TBN leader encourages the use of new formats to communicate truth, hope and grace

MATTHEW CROUCH is assistant to the president at Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).

How has the type of programming TBN airs changed in the last few years?

This is a time of transition. Traditional pulpit programs are moving to our Church Channel network, and we are developing programs with more innovative formats for the main network. A good example is Max Lucado’s new program, Grace. It's a traditional message presented in a fresh way.

Are there assumptions made by consumers about TBN programming that may have been true, but aren’t any longer? Is TBN’s brand changing to accommodate new technologies and voices in the market?

I would say the perception that TBN is strictly Southern gospel, Pentecostal is something that’s outdated. At the beginning, most of our stations and guests were from the South, so that was the dominant flavor of the network. But now, we have facilities all over the country and we reach something like 98% of the country’s population, so our programming reflects a diversity of styles and themes. TBN is definitely changing to reflect new technology. Live streaming is a major part of our outreach, and our new “video on demand” service, iTBN, offers thousands of hours of archived programming. In fact, Max Lucado’s daily inspirational spots are available now on iTBN, and his new Grace program will be available on iTBN right after it begins playing “over the air.”

Is it more important to you to have TBN air programming from established voices in the Christian faith or up-and-coming voices? Or is it important to have a combination of both?

You need to have a combination. The seasoned veterans are important for their wisdom. Check out Psalm 71:17-18, but you also need the fresh perspective of younger “up and coming” voices; see 1 Timothy 4:12. 

Why is media produced with Christian themes—books, television programming, music and so forth—so important, especially in our current culture?

Right now, mass culture is looking for truth. With all the mixed messages and false teaching people are exposed to today, it's important that our voice—the voice of truth, hope and grace—be out there in the media for everyone to hear, and we need to make that message accessible to people around the world in a variety of formats.

What technology changes in the last five years or so have most affected the way that TBN functions?

The Internet has changed everything, not only with the video streaming and “video on demand” that I mentioned before, but also in the whole area of social media. There’s the potential for instant interaction between programmers and viewers that’s simply stunning. 

How are you actively connecting with your established audience as well as with new viewers?

We’re using every means available. Some people will continue to prefer “over the air” broadcasting and communicating with us by telephone and snail mail. But video streaming, “video on demand” and social media—those are the platforms that have “changed the game.” They’ll continue to grow and are the future of what we now know as broadcasting. But, the message, the content is what’s really important, and good content will always have a place. 

How can Christian retailers use some of these same models to reach new consumers? 

Retail has gone from “bricks and mortar” to Internet shopping. I think Christian retailers can benefit from embracing the technology that is available. 

Do you have any advice for Christian retailers on how to change to meet the needs of consumers?

Be attuned to the trends and movements within Christianity. I think the “grace” message will define our generation just like “dispensationalism” defined the past 40 years. People need to hear about God’s grace. That’s why I’m so glad Max Lucado wrote about the topic in his latest book. 

What do you see in the future for Christian media as a whole?

My dad, Paul Crouch Sr., just entered the room, so I’ll let him answer: “simply utilizing current technology to its maximum extent and keeping eyes, ears and spirit open to every new technology that mankind comes up with.” I couldn’t have said it better.  

Meeting needs in the church—all of it

Let’s consider the broad nature of the body of Christ, as well as seekers

I have had the privilege of working in Christian publishing for almost 25 years. In that time much has changed—in publishing, in the church and in me.

Christian publishing has provided me with a unique education. Where else could I have the opportunity to hear so many views on the gospel and the Scriptures? Sometimes those views range from one end of the spectrum to the other, but they still represent the views of the church. “Not my church,” you might say. To which I would respond, “Yes, your church, because it is all our church.”

Christian publishers are all church publishers because we are all publishing for the church. Understanding my place in the church has been one of the best gifts I have received from my career. I now consider myself part of the larger church, the entire body of Christ, American and international, conservative and liberal, evangelical and mainline.

Certainly I don’t always agree with everything I hear or read, but when I am challenged by someone who believes differently, especially about issues of faith, it makes me think that much harder about what I do believe and why I believe it. That is the entire purpose of Christian publishing, to exchange ideas, to look at Scripture with a fresh eye, to grow in our faith and to share that with the whole world.

As the associate publisher of the Christian Living and Abingdon fiction divisions of Abingdon Press, I am now part of the work of The United Methodist Publishing House. Some of our other divisions provide curriculum, programs, small-group studies, Vacation Bible School resources and Bible reference and leadership resources for the church, and they do this very well, just as many other denominational publishers do.

One might think that as a denominational publisher, we are concerned only about reaching people in our denomination, but that is not the case. Denominational publishers are committed to the same goals as other Christian publishers. We are publishing books and materials that will reach the world for Christ and help believers grow in their faith.

At Abingdon, some of our books contain a Wesleyan worldview, but so do books published by many trade houses. We do publish for the church; we just see the church as the whole body of Christ. We also publish for the seeker or the person who has no idea that the answer they are seeking is Christ, but they will find what they really are looking for in one of our Christian novels or Christian Living books that shows them how to parent their adult children.

Receive a 'Revelation'

When I first began my career in Christian publishing, I could not understand why many books had 13 chapters with questions at the end of each chapter. An experienced editor explained that it was so that book could be used as Sunday school curriculum. That was the most outrageous thing I had ever heard. I truly believed that all Sunday school curricula came only from a denominational publisher. It never occurred to me that a Sunday school class might choose—or even just consider choosing—a book to study together.

That was one of many revelations I have had through the years. I realized that the books we published were read not just by individuals, but also by small groups, Sunday school classes and even entire congregations who came together to share in the discovery of a new idea.

Now that I work with a denominational publisher, I see this from the other side—books intended for use within the church sometimes reach out to touch an entire society. At Abingdon Press, 24 Hours That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton, originally was designed as a Lenten study, but then something wonderful happened: Readers began to discover it. Readers who may not even observe Lent found this little book that so beautifully walked a believer up to Easter in a new and challenging way.

By the third year of the book’s release, more people bought it than in its first year, and I believe the number of people who buy it next year will exceed the total of the first two years combined. Hamilton’s 24 Hours speaks to the whole church and to anyone who wants to better understand Christ’s sacrifice for us.

Both the church and our industry have faced and are continuing to face a difficult time. Church attendance is down on Sundays, and foot traffic is down in our retail stores. And yet I remain encouraged. I know there is a future for the church and for those of us who work to serve it by finding fresh new voices to publish and sharing a new way to look at Scripture.

We are all called to do things differently, and that might include embracing a new idea, reaching out in a new way or trying something crazy. Just as churches are opening their doors to community groups, developing culturally relevant curriculum and experimenting with alternative worship styles, Christian bookstores must also reach out in a new way.

Reconsider Your Reach

If you are retailer, look at your store shelves. Are you serving the whole church? Are you serving the seeker? Are you meeting all the needs of your regular customers? Are you carrying and promoting books that challenge and encourage and engage your customer? Are you reading books that challenge the way you’ve always thought?

One of my favorite books was created because a woman walked into her local Christian bookstore and asked for a book on hospitality. Benita Long was told by store staff members that they did not carry books on hospitality because it did not fit their mission. She was appalled.

“But hospitality is one of the gifts of the Spirit,” she said to me. “How could it not be part of the mission of a Christian bookstore?”

So she went home, worked with three good friends and a photographer, and created Come to the Table, a beautiful book that celebrates everything that is good about sharing Christ through sharing your home. It is also a best-seller because there were a great many people—just like Long—who wanted that book and could not find it until she created it.

Let me encourage you to do something new. Visit a different church. Select one that is as different as possible from where you normally worship. Look around at your brothers and sisters in Christ. Ask yourself if your store is meeting their needs.

Ask these new friends what they are reading or what they want to read but haven’t found. Ask who their favorite authors are and see if those are the names on your front table. Don’t hold a focus group. Don’t wait for them to come to you; you go to them. Ask yourself if you are providing the resources that the whole church needs in order to grow.

Yes, there has been change—in the industry, in the church, in me, and, I hope, in you too. But some things do not change: the gospel, God’s grace and our mission as Christians to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I hope you grow as you seek to serve the whole church and the whole world.

Work together to maximize book sales

Former chain book buyer encourages retailers and publishers to join forces

TIM WAY recently retired from Family Christian Stores, where he was the chain’s divisional merchant manager.

How has the mix of books changed in Christian publishing?

I don’t know that the mix has changed for the better. In many ways, people’s reading habits have become more trite. What you carry in your store is determined by what your customer tells you they want to buy, so you tailor your inventory to that customer base. But I have been concerned that many of the books that are popular now are lacking in depth. Some of the older authors, the classics, are starting to lose popularity, which is a concern. There are some authors coming up now who are strong and who have some depth, but I don’t see those authors getting the wide consumer approval that authors did in past years.

Max Lucado is a great popular writer. But even his last couple of books has not gotten the attention that his older releases did. The same is true for John MacArthur and other similar authors. These standard bearers have lost some steam along the way, and that is sad because they have something to say.

I see new authors struggling to get traction, particularly if they have write on a deeper level. It is more difficult for new authors to break out and get traction now, and that is a concern.

What did you look for in deciding which books to carry?

The bottom line is you have to buy the books that are going to keep you in business, not necessarily just the books that you would love to sell. But there have been some pleasant surprises in the last few years. The Bonhoeffer biography [by Eric Metaxas] is a good example. This was a book we were proud to have on our shelf.

But then there are some titles on the best-seller list that make you wonder what customers are thinking. Do they simply want something that is going to tickle their fancy, but not provide any depth? It appears that the market wants something lighter and frothier.

When considering a new book for your assortment, it helps if there is a history that you can reference. If an author has a history of success, then his newest release will more likely sell well as opposed to a similar book from a new author. Now, more than ever before, it is so hard to get traction as a new author. People are simply more careful how they are spending their money.

One important thing to look at is the timeliness of the topic. Is the subject matter something that people are likely to be talking about? One book that I think the industry may have underestimated is the Mormonizing of America and other similar books on the Mormon religion, primarily because of the upcoming election.

Look at what is coming up, what is going to fit those trends, what is going to fill a felt need and what has been hot in the past. Trends shift and sway on a whim. Sometimes a trend is fueled by a best-seller in a category, and people then want more books in that category. Two years ago, biography was a hot category fueled by the books about Bush and Bonhoeffer. As I was leaving my position last March, we saw biographies begin to slow down.

Also national movements like the old Promise Keepers, which created an interest in men’s books—even if it wasn’t men who actually bought them—help sell books. I called the Promise Keeper books “bedside table books” because the wives bought them and put them on the husband’s bedside table, hoping that they would read them.

On the other hand, some categories are always solid. Books written for and/or by women are always going to sell well. Approximately 80% of the average CBA store’s customer base is women shoppers; so if it appeals to women, has some depth and is by a good author, then you likely have a winner.

Publishers need to look for those categories that have holes. If you see an older book that worked well, and there is nothing like that out in the market right now, then go after it.

What do you believe most impacts customers to buy a new book?

What influences people most is word of mouth. One Thousand Gifts is a perfect example of a book that is a word-of-mouth, buzz title. Women read it and loved it and told other women. The author also had a blog that caught fire, plus she was getting cross-promotion from other women’s blog groups. The very best-selling books have been word-of-mouth titles. Heaven Is for Real is one of those. People would come in and buy 50 copies and give them out to everyone they knew.

What role do covers play?

While I think that people do buy books by the cover, that is not always true. The cover on the Bonhoeffer book, for example, was far too academic in appearance to typically gain traction in our market, yet it did. People bought it in spite of the cover. Good press and good word-of-mouth can overcome an average cover.

Again, One Thousand Gifts is one of those examples of the cover helping to sell the book. But what in the end made it a best-seller was the content.

With more people choosing to buy on their digital devices, what can publishers and retailers do to encourage the purchase of print books?

That is a difficult question. You can run sales, do great displays, build a great website and do all the right things, but at the end of the day, there are only just so many levers available for a retailer to pull.

I think it is going to simply come down to the fact that some people like to read printed books and others like to read on their devices. My experience in a recent study was that my classmates were evenly split. Some only read on devices, and some purists, like me, preferred a [print] book. I like a “real” book.

I think the move to digital is an unstoppable trend, yet I don’t see books going the way of music. There is still a need and a desire for printed books. But, to be profitable in this time of change, booksellers need to find other avenues to make money. I talked to someone from California who loved their local bookstore because of the great depth and breadth of books they carried. This person then commented that their store had also added a very extensive gift annex. I told him that the profitability of the gift annex was likely what was allowing their book section to have the depth and breadth that it had.

How can publishers better equip retailers to be successful with new authors?

I know it is frustrating for publishers to get retailers to pay attention to new authors. It takes so much energy to build a new author that sometimes you ask if it is going to be worth it when so many of them don’t make it. I think publishers need to be willing to pay an up-front price to launch a new author.

The one thing I would suggest is that publishers need to be aggressive in pricing a new author. In the CBA marketplace, a publisher can’t launch a new author and expect the customer to pay $25 for a hardcover. Take some shorter margins to launch that author. It is a risk, but this way the publisher and the bookseller are sharing the risk. If this author has the potential to grow, then the payoff will more than offset the lower margins on the front end.

How can publishers best help retailers be successful with their new releases?

Publishers and retailers need to work together to get the buzz going. Publishers who do Facebook and Twitter, especially if they work closely with the retailer’s website, can be very effective. If retailer has a solid list of customers who read a particular genre, then [publishers should] consider creating buzz by working with that retailer to send out galleys to those customers. I know I said there are only so many levers that you can pull, but if the publisher and the retailer work to pull those levers together, then they are both more likely to be successful.

At the store level, the levers are price and real estate, and you have to leverage both. Both the publisher and the retailer have to use discounting and special placement to get the buyer’s attention.

What is the most efficient way for retailers to be aware of the broad range of new products that are available?

That’s simple: Pay attention during product demonstrations. Frankly, I don’t understand how independents do it, particularly since many publishers no longer send sales reps to visit the independent stores. But I would suggest that you read through trade magazines and look at what is being advertised. Also talk to publishers and pay attention to what is being promoted. I always asked publishers straight out what was going to be the hot titles. I wanted to know what they thought were their best releases for the next season.

The publisher has to be wise and realize the retailer has limited resources in open-to-buy and retail space. Therefore, not every title will be treated the same. Everyone has to pay attention to what will turn those dollars for both the publisher and the retailer.

Different stores in different regions have customers seeking a different mix of products. How can retailers tailor their stores to meet the needs of their market?

If you are an independent bookseller, this is a no brainer. You pay attention to your market and make sure your inventory selection reflects your customers’ needs and desires. If you are part of a chain, it is different. Most chains have the benefit of having outstanding I.T. systems, but their individual stores must be communicating to make sure they have what they need for their customer. The buyer at the headquarters has to rely on their stores helping them out. Stores have to be able to say, “Why are you sending me this?”

And then it is vital to effectively use the systems that are in place. It is common sense that if one store sells 10 of something and another sells none, don’t send the store that can’t move it any more of that title, but keep that store where it is hot well-stocked. This applies to both older titles and new.

How do retailers successfully create a product mix that will grow their reach in the community?

I think you need to take a look at what is out there and then take some risks. Some of the things are really basic to all stores, but there are some categories that may be more market specific. For example, we knew from surveys that we had a strong Catholic customer base, so we made sure to buy gifts and books that appealed to that base. At first there was some guesswork being done with the help of the Catholic suppliers, but we started by selling Catholic Bibles and gifts. Then, since that was working, we expanded into books and other product lines. That is not going to work for everyone, but the stores that make up their mind that they are going to appeal to the ecumenical marketplace will do well.

We found that our Catholic customers were already buying general books and gifts in our stores, but had to go online to get their Catholic products. We were missing sales and not meeting the needs of our existing customers. This change let us take advantage of a customer base that was already shopping in our stores, and reach new customers too.

What one thing do you wish retailers would do differently in order to be more successful?

Retailers would be wise to use pricing as a promotional tool both through in-store promotions and coupons. I think a combination of the two is best.

Your competition is not the bookseller down the street. It is the online retailer, and they are aggressive price-wise, plus they have a much broader inventory, including used books. If you are a one-trick pony and you are up against a competitor who is using multiple levers, you are going to lose that battle.

How can retailers make the most of every customer that they already have?

One of the most successful things a retailer can do to maximize every customer contact is to have point-of-purchase promotions at the cash register area. The independent CBA retailer needs to get better at this tool. There is a fine line between irritating people and wisely suggesting add-on purchases. You must pay attention to your customer. Maybe you select three different things that are appealing to your customer at the register area to suggest as an add-on sale, and aggressively price these products. Or you could sell them a service. If a customer walks up with a Bible, always suggest imprinting it. That is a pure profit add-on and is providing good customer service. If only 10% or 20% of your customer base says yes to your add-on suggestions, you have increased your sales per customer and your profitability. I think that is one thing that independents can learn from the chains.

The number-one advantage that the independent bookseller has over their chain-store competition is that they know their market intimately and can tailor their approach to their specific market better than the chain. Then the independent bookseller can get excited about and hand-sell a book better than their chain-store competitor. There is nothing more powerful than having a bookseller who is passionate about a good Christian book and telling the story to their customers—and there is nothing more powerful than outstanding customer service.

Read more of Tim Way’s Q&A at www.christianretailing.com/timway.

Stop, shop and buy—the retailer’s First Third strategy

Put on your shopper’s hat and learn to view your store through your customers’ eyes

So, try this in your store …

Walk to the front door, just inside. Put your back against the door and face the inside of your store. Close your eyes. Take three deep cleansing breaths, clear your mind and think, “I am a customer just walking into this store.”

Now open your eyes. What do you see? Hurry! Say it out loud. What is the first thing your eye rests on? The second? Third? What do you notice? What catches your attention?

Close your eyes again, and name out loud each of the specific products in the order you saw them. Not displays. Individual items.

What displays do you remember? What signs do you recall?

What was your impression of the store? Messy? Neat? Cluttered? Open? Tight?

And ask yourself, “What are customers noticing as they enter my store? Will they stop, shop and buy something?”

Welcome to First Third thinking!

The most visible area that a customer notices when coming into your store is called “the First Third.” This is the front area where most of the features and primary displays are placed and is usually where most of the sales happen. How you develop and treat this primary retail space could well be the key to your selling success.

Here are three First Third questions that will help to clarify the effectiveness of your space:

Test question No. 1

Is the front of your store set up for the customer or for your staff’s convenience? If the customer sees a counter full of clutter, messes, stacked products, catalogs and bags, what does that tell him or her? When I am an invited guest in someone’s home, I don’t appreciate being around messes, dust, clutter, dirty bathrooms and such. I prefer a clean, tidy space that feels prepared for me, their guest. Are you fully prepared for your guests’ arrival?

Clean up everything the customer sees from the counter area to the spaces under fixtures. Dust, straighten, display and sign. (Bonus question: Do people vacuum their homes when guests are present or while they are getting ready to leave?)

Test question No. 2

Do customers notice a specific product, or are they overwhelmed by visual pollution—seeing a store full of “stuff” with nothing in particular catching their eye? Most stores have more than 20,000 SKUs on hand. For a customer to see every item would take a year. Are you controlling the details so they see what you want them to see?

The whole idea of a feature display, like a table or endcap, is to get the customer to stop, shop and buy. Focused displays around themes, price points or specific items will be more sales-effective than filling a display with everything you can think of. Are you trying to highlight too many things at once, thus causing visual pollution?

Test question No. 3

On the sides and at the end of each aisle, does the customer see a nice product display or a storage area? Look down your main store aisle and notice what the customer sees. The endcaps lining that aisle should be features with good signage and special product displays. At the end of the aisle there should be an attractive display to draw them farther into the store.

Remember, you are in control of what they see and respond to. Does the line of sight end at an attractive display of specific products that make them want to stop, shop and buy?

A vital part to your ministry and business will be whether customers buy some of your life-changing products. If the merchandising is visually appealing and focused, then the whole store becomes a showcase full of features and specific items that you control. Have your staff regularly ask themselves, “What does the customer see?” and develop a First Third strategy for every highly visible, primary feature area of your store.

If what customers see as they enter your store are specific products, promotions, features and neat, organized, well-signed displays, you are on your way to more customers who will stop, shop and buy.

MICHAEL HUPP is executive director, merchandising at Cokesbury and a CBA board member representing chain stores.

Making decisions, working stress-free and leading ‘lawfully’

Dubbed the “personal productivity guru” by Fast Company magazine, coach and consultant Allen reveals the connection between our mind-set and productivity. He asserts that it is only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized that we can be productive and creative.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (Tenth Anniversary Edition) by John C. Maxwell (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-785-28837-4, 2007)

This is one of the best, most accessible books on leadership there is.  Several of these leadership “laws” run through my head at any given moment, and I know that following them makes a difference.

The Traveler’s Gift: Seven Decisions That Determine Personal Success by Andy Andrews (Thomas Nelson, 978-0-785-27322-6, 2005).

I was in marketing with Thomas Nelson when this book was published and fell in love with it when I first read the manuscript. My husband had the seven decisions taped on his bathroom mirror for years. I think it should be required reading for everyone, especially in the midst of hard, scary times.

Catering to readers who can’t get enough means higher fiction sales

From tales of the Amish to romantic suspense, publishers of Christian fiction have found that once readers get hooked on a series, sales take off, reaping rewards for author, publisher and retailer.

Such different series as Beverly Lewis’ “Home to Hickory Hollow” Amish series (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group), “East Salem” supernatural mystery trilogy by Lis Wiehl with Pete Nelson (Thomas Nelson) and Terri Blackstock’s “Intervention” suspense series (Zondervan) are some of the top sellers.

The recently published “Mr. Right” series by Lisa Raftery with Barbara Precourt (Harrison House Publishers) is sure to draw many a teen girl, while Angela Breidenbach (“Quilts of Love,” Abingdon Press) and Stephanie Grace Whitson (“The Quilt Chronicles,” Barbour Publishing) take different approaches to a homespun hobby. Written by various authors and set in different locations, the “Love Finds You” series has been a hit for Summerside Press.

Penelope Wilcock’s 20-year-old classic series “The Hawk and the Dove” (Crossway) now has three new volumes. Set in medieval times, it is one of the more unusual series on the market with its tales of monastic life and brotherly love.

EXTEND THE EXPERIENCE

Readers who enjoy dipping into a good novel often want to revisit its characters in future titles.

“A series engages the reader with characters that they don’t want to forget,” said Sue Brower, executive editor at Zondervan. “They want to know what happens next and to extend the experience of the first book.”

Research by Thomas Nelson bears this out, showing “an average of 43% of readers prefer series over stand-alones, but these numbers vary by genre preferences,” said Daisy Hutton, vice president and publisher.

“Series allow an author and his readership to spend more time developing a community or cast of characters, creating loyalty to a brand that can be sustained over the course of months, years or even longer,” she added. “Authors frequently hear from readers who want to learn more about secondary characters in their favorite novels, and series can provide that opportunity.” 

However, series authors who make readers wait for an extended period may suffer the loss of fans.

“A lot of readers don’t like a cliffhanger ending, often forcing them to wait many months to see how a romance or adventure or medical emergency turns out,” said Kim Moore, senior editor at Harvest House Publishers. “We prefer books that can stand alone in a series—boy wins girl, good triumphs over bad, a miracle happens and a life is saved—while being part of a larger story or group of stories that encompass more than one book.”

When series are successful, readers become absorbed as if watching a good TV show week to week.

“A series is like a great television series that you can’t wait to see the next episode of, and a stand-alone is more like a movie without a sequel,” said author Lorna Seilstad (“Lake Manawa Summers,” Revell/Baker Publishing Group). “For many readers, it’s hard to become attached to characters or a time and place and then have to let it go.”

An epic cast of characters or certain types of writing simply require more than the limited page count of one novel.

“With particularly high-concept writing like Stephen Lawhead’s ‘Bright Empires’ books [Thomas Nelson], the series format allows for the build-up of an expansive, powerful storyline that couldn’t possibly be contained or developed in a single volume,” Hutton said.

Moore agrees.

“Books in a series can tell more complex and detailed stories. Taken all together, they feel more complete. The reader can continue following the lives of characters they have come to know and love in Book 1, while meeting new friends and watching familiar figures overcome adversity and triumph over a broad story arc.”

EXPAND THE BRAND

Authors seem to agree that series can work for just about any type of fiction, with mystery and romantic suspense among the strongest subgenres that lend themselves to ongoing installments.

“I don’t know that a certain type of fiction could not be written serially,” Moore said. “Some epic fiction might set itself apart from being contained in one book.”

“A strong series is built on developing an experience that leaves readers desiring more and more of a particular setting or community of characters,” Hutton said. “Writing in this format can also allow for brand expansion for an author.”

However, the number of titles that is best for a series can “depend somewhat on content,” Moore said. “Certain genres, especially mysteries, seem to be able to support many books. But it also seems that the number has gone down in recent years.”

Brower has seen series as short as three books and as long as 20. 

“I like to read series between four and six novels,” she said. “Beyond that, it’s hard to keep track of characters and plots, particularly if the books are a year apart.”

When a series goes on too long, it risks tiring the reader. In that light, “reader demand” is what Colleen Coble and her publisher, Thomas Nelson, have let drive the number of books in her series. For instance, her “Rock Harbor” series was slated for three titles, but became five plus a Christmas novella.

“Sometimes a very popular series might be stretched beyond its potential just to keep the brand up,” Brower cautioned. “The latter books in the series are not nearly as compelling as the first.”

As a reader, author Deborah Raney doesn’t want to invest the time in extended series.

“There are just too many other great authors out there to devote myself to only one author for a long period of time,” she said.

EXCITE THE READER

Building fans of a particular series is basic to its success.

“The beauty of a series is that readers know they’re going to become very involved with beloved characters and follow their stories for more than one book,” said Barb Sherrill, vice president of marketing at Harvest House. “There is something exciting and satisfying about that reading experience.”

To do that, stores must make an effort to keep fiction fans coming back, perhaps with signage and promotional items that announce news series, author appearances or whole-set discounts.

While some stores may only keep the first and latest titles in a series, David Lewis, vice president of marketing and sales for Baker Publishing Group, thinks it’s important for retailers to keep all series’ titles in their inventory.

“To sell series they need to keep every book in the series in stock,” he said. “Many stores have had success selling the first book in a series at a sale price to get readers to try a new series or author. This often brings readers back for the other books in the series.”

Since fiction fans are often avid readers of e-books, the digital option can be used to the publisher’s and retailer’s advantage by offering the initial book of a series or first chapter of a subsequent title as a free e-book. Tamera Alexander and her publisher, Bethany House, did this with From a Distance, a “Timber Ridge Reflections” novel, to entice readers into the series.

Stores might try a “first in series” sale “in which they offer the first book in several series for a reduced price, therefore engaging readers to new authors and series,” Brower said.

Overall, with new releases, “the promotion plan must be two-fold, serving the established readership to notify fans of the next installment, and seeing with new eyes the potential for growing the fan base with new readers,” said Andrea Lyons, senior marketing director at Thomas Nelson. “In order to maximize the full potential of a series, marketing teams and retailers benefit from lifting up the first book as an entry point for joining the satisfied readership.” 

David Long, senior acquisitions editor of Bethany House, sees readers’ involvement and loyalty rewarded by a series.

“They fall in love with a setting and characters, and a series allows them the opportunity to dive back in,” she said. “With all the choices out there, the promise of an author taking a story deeper and wider than just a single novel can be quite tempting.”

Stores with knowledgeable staff stand out, but customer service training is key

Reaching the “thoughtful” books reader takes a retailer committed to stocking appropriately and building a reputation as the “go-to” outlet for such titles. It also doesn’t hurt stores to have someone on staff willing to answer the questions of inquiring customers. We discussed some of the key players in this category and its future with representatives from four publishers of “thoughtful” and academic titles in the Christian market.

Taking part in the conversation were: 

LAURA BARTLETT, academic marketing manager, Kregel Publications

JEFF CROSBY, associate publisher/director of sales and marketing, InterVarsity Press (IVP)

DAVID DOBSON, executive director of publishing and editorial director, Westminster John Knox Press

JESSE HILLMAN, marketing director, academic and reference, Zondervan

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What types of books do you classify as academic that Christian retail stores would sell?

JEFF CROSBY: Within any of the academic lines represented by the four of us, there is a broad range of disciplines covered and a spectrum of academic levels (undergraduate, graduate, seminary, doctoral) within them. What those of us in academic publishing call “core texts” probably would not, for the most part, be strong additions to a Christian retail store. Exceptions might be Bible background works, such as a major series Zondervan publishes, or a two-volume series that IVP publishes, among others. But what are known as “supplemental texts” often would be, particularly in categories that are of importance to—or should be—the church at large. 

When I owned and managed a Christian retail store from 1983 to 1996, books such as James Sire’s The Universe Next Door and Colin Brown’s Philosophy and the Christian Faith, or Jesus studies titles by J.P. Moreland and resurrection studies by William Lane Craig, all were a regular part of my assortments—and success. And none of those were thought of as purely “academic books.” But times have changed, obviously, and today they typically are thought of that way and slotted in academic lines such as those we work with. But they still speak to their original audiences, which are both inside and outside the academy. 

I find that titles in categories such as apologetics, preaching, commentaries, reference works (both mass market “pocket” titles and larger, one-volume works), political science, theology, vocation studies and books addressing pressing issues of the day, such as the problem of evil, war, poverty, immigration and others, often do find homes in Christian retail stores. And when they do—such as at Hearts and Minds in Dallastown, Pa., or Eighth Day Books in Wichita, Kan., or Logos bookstore in
Dallas—they become a part of the store’s image and attract an expanded clientele.

LAURA BARTLETT: There are many academic books that thoughtful Christians pick up and will enjoy and benefit from. Academic books don’t have to be inaccessible. For example, many “armchair theologians” enjoy our “40 Questions” series of books. Similarly, pastors are increasingly viewing themselves as pastor-scholars, and so exegetical commentaries and other biblical studies books are very relevant to them and other lay church leaders.

DAVID DOBSON: While Westminster John Knox Press has generally not had the same presence in the Christian retail market for our academic books as for our laity books, some of our academic books do cross over there. These tend to be reference works in Bible and theology, along with some of our homiletics books. But our academic books mainly sell through stores at mainline seminaries and graduate schools and, of course, online booksellers.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What are the publishing seasons in this market?

CROSBY: Traditionally we had two (rather than three, as with the trade) publishing seasons—February and October. Catalogs were geared to those months for course adoptions in the autumn and spring semesters, respectively. However, about three years ago, we moved to three publishing cycles, in tandem with our trade catalog. The additional “touches” of professors—through our IVP Academic Alert bulletin and the printed catalog—have helped us stay in front of them and the institutional stores they are connected to, and we have become more timely in getting our information out. The autumn selling season is typically larger than the other two because the major conferences—the Evangelical Theological Society and the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature—are held in November.

JESSE HILLMAN: The announcement of our academic releases are driven by our three trade sales cycles as well. We do maintain a flexibility, however, to set release dates based on what’s best for each individual project. And we are always revisiting this due to changes such as those brought on by the Textbook Provision of the Higher Education Opportunity Act and the increasing ease through social media to reach out to both consumers and key academic buyers. Digital-first releases also require more nimbleness than the traditional trade season structure.

BARTLETT: While we announce our academic books to the trade on a three-season cycle, our consumer-facing announcements remain on a two-season cycle as this feels most natural to professors on a two-semester class/textbook planning schedule.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: While the academic market is probably not very trendy, what publishing patterns are evident?

CROSBY: It can actually be more “trend-conscious” than you might think. Publishing follows (and sometimes guides, we hope helpfully) conversations about core aspects of religious faith and engagement in the broader culture. Of late, there have been trends in the study of the historical Adam, the study of the doctrine of the Trinity, atonement, studies related to the apostle Paul and his writings, the resurrection and, of course, the so-called “new atheism,” which really wasn’t new at all, just a bit more sensational in the Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens’ version. But beyond that, there is a growing issue that I call the “Google effect” whereby many students and people in the church believe (mistakenly, in my opinion) that research and reading on the Internet will suffice when it comes to studying and working through critical issues and concerns. Additionally, there is a significant trend toward “digital lending libraries” of academic and reference works, and “value-added” features for digital versions of those works. So, as with trade publishing, there are trends, and all of us are trying to stay on top of and respond to—and guide—them.

BARTLETT: Often, trends in popular culture follow trends in academia—but months or years behind. Not all academic trends filter down to popular culture, but an academic emphasis today on, for example, the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament may result in homiletics books next year on preaching the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, which may result in popular-level books and sermons on the subject the year after that. Digital publishing, e-learning and self-publishing are examples of patterns that are increasing in prominence within academic publishing.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What traits make an academic publisher strong in the Christian market?

CROSBY: It’s important to know both who you are, as a publisher, and who your audiences are, and publish into that with excellence on a consistent basis. That builds trust and repeat buyers, whether professors, students or consumers outside of the academy. And that excellence includes a very strong editorial process that regularly has peer-reviewed vetting of manuscripts to ensure the scholarship is up-to-date, accurate and presented in a clear, well-articulated manner. As with trade publishing, a strong academic publishing program will feature authors who are genuine experts in their field, but are able to communicate to their target audience. And that looks, feels and reads very differently at the undergraduate level than the graduate or post-graduate levels.

BARTLETT: It takes consistent and open communication with quality Christian booksellers. That is certainly more natural for those of us publishers with a trade division than it is for university publishers. Further, there are certain academic authors who know how to speak to a lay Christian audience as well as they do to a scholarly audience. Perhaps you have heard the saying, “If you can’t communicate clearly, you don’t really understand your subject.” We think that this is usually true and we use this as a filter in our acquisitions process.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: Do we see new publishers entering this market, or is it pretty stable?

CROSBY: Absolutely. We see what have historically been “trade” publishers vying for the same authors and books as those that IVP Academic has long been working with, and we also see an expanded presence of university presses publishing evangelical and other Christian voices into the religion category—places such as Indiana University Press, the University of North Carolina Press, Baylor University Press and Oxford University Press, among many others.

BARTLETT: An interesting new entry to the market is Asbury Theological Seminary, with their Seedbed publishing venture. They have begun publishing Wesleyan resources, written primarily by their own faculty.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How are academic trade publishers competing with university presses?

CROSBY: Our prices tend to be lower than a traditional university press, our print runs higher, and our marketing budgets larger. Additionally, we have a stronger ability to reach into the church, and … many of the books in our academic lines really do speak to concerns that pastors and church leaders and lay people are grappling with.

BARTLETT: The fact that each of us also publishes books in areas other than academic publishing means that we have better and wider distribution relationships than university presses do.

DOBSON: Price has always been a competitive advantage for us, whether competing with university presses or other academic publishers. This continues to be the case. Quality is another advantage—the quality of the editing, the copyediting and the entire book production process sometimes helps us draw authors who might have otherwise gone to a university press.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What associations and conferences are important to academic publishing?

CROSBY: The Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and American Academic of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature (AAR/SBL) are the three core societies that we are a part of. We also take our publishing program to the Society of Christian Philosophers, Christians in Political Science and the International Conference on Patristics, among others.

HILLMAN: Other related societies also plan meetings in connection with ETS and AAR/SBL. … Compared to events such as ICRS [International Christian Retail Show], which is important for other areas of our business, the ETS/AAR/SBL meetings bring together a wider array of people that are central to our academic publishing business—our current and prospective authors (we have several hundred authors in attendance); consumers (instructors, scholars and students); and important trade/industry contacts, both domestic and international, digital and traditional. 

BARTLETT: Preaching/pastoral conferences such as the Evangelical Homiletical Society and the Desiring God Pastor’s Conference are significant ways we reach readers and gatekeepers.

DOBSON: AAR/SBL continues to be the key event for us each year, both from a bookselling/course-adoption standpoint and from an author-recruitment standpoint. ETS is important, as is the Catholic Biblical Association annual meeting. We also attend smaller conferences, like the Society of Christian Ethics and Academy of Homiletics.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What key partnerships are evolving?

CROSBY: We have for more than 15 years been in partnership with the theology department at Wheaton College as a co-sponsor of the Wheaton Theology Conference. Last year’s theme surrounded the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Prior conferences featured J.I. Packer, N.T. Wright and other prominent voices within evangelicalism. And in the realm of Christian psychology/counseling studies, we have a formal publishing partnership with the Christian Association of Psychological Studies, which has led to publishing five core textbooks in that field.

HILLMAN: We are gearing up for a major announcement of a new partnership this September. For us, professors, schools and decision-makers in the academy are some of the most important partnerships to foster. We have a staff person whose sole responsibility is to build rapport with professors and proactively seek ways to inform and help them.

BARTLETT: Kregel also has a forthcoming fall announcement of a significant new publishing partnership. Our partnerships with schools that use e-learning resources have been mutually beneficial. We can in some cases tailor our resources to the needs of a particular school.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What is the place of Christian academic e-books?

CROSBY: Our best-selling academic books in print—such as Kenneth Bailey’s Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes—are, likewise, our best-selling e-books. Digital lending libraries, driven by institutions more than professors or students, is another force within academic digital publishing. But even more than digital trade publishing, academic books are increasingly loaded with “value-added features” for classroom use as well as personal study.

DOBSON: We’re seeing a definite growth in our sales of academic e-books, but it’s not yet clear that a single standard is emerging. Do students and teachers want a regular e-book, an enhanced e-book, web-based content, PDFs or some other format that hasn’t been developed yet? We’re looking carefully to see where most of the growth seems to be happening, so we can be ready to address it.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What are Christian academic booksellers doing right?

CROSBY: For what are largely academic stores, the Dallas Theological Seminary Bookstore (DTS) and the wtsbooks.com online store are among the locations that stand out. Both know who their audiences are and cater very strongly to them. They have knowledgeable people working behind the scenes and behind the cash wraps. In the case of DTS, it is merchandised in a very organized, attractive manner and they have a rigorous customer service training program in place that makes the exceptional service happen. In the case of wtsbooks.com, they are uncommonly creative in their pricing and promotions. 

For trade stores stocking academic-oriented products, I have already referenced three exceptional examples: Eighth Day Books in Wichita, which caters especially to a more literary and reference academic clientele; Hearts and Minds in Dallastown, whose assortment of books is perhaps the broadest I have encountered in recent years, and whose staff is among the most knowledgeable about what is on their shelves; and Logos bookstore in Dallas, which has for more than 30 years serviced students, pastors and church leaders of the Southern Methodist University area.

HILLMAN: Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Mich., is another strong academic store. They excel at hosting community lectures and events featuring thoughtful discussions, reaching out to church leaders and stocking a wide selection of biblical-theological books, used and new, that bring in academic customers from all over the region. They also have knowledgeable staff dedicated to this area of business and an online presence through their Baker Book House Church Connection blog.

BARTLETT: One great example is Signs of Life near the University of
Kansas. They are a bookstore/coffee shop/art gallery, which serves as a gathering place for discussion groups and has many academic books which are attractively merchandised by topic.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How can Christian bookstores maximize their reach to academic readers?

CROSBY: By stocking an assortment of titles that reflect well upon the store’s commitment to the category of “thoughtful” or “academic” books, and staying in it for the long haul; by finding ways to reach out to pastors, professors, university students and church leaders and letting them know the store is committed to stocking this type of product; and by working with academic publishers to find out what our best-selling titles are to fellow trade stores, and asking about special pricing and terms to help the stores integrate the product into their assortments and promote them to potential buyers.

BARTLETT: Bringing in a staff member who is conversant in biblical and theological topics and trends can help a store build a reputation as a go-to place to discover new books in those areas.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: How can academic titles best be promoted at Christian retail?

CROSBY: Christian retail stores can choose two or three categories of books and work with publishers to bring in an assortment with special terms that allows stores to feature them on an endcap with discounted pricing. Ask about sample copies to give to pastors or instructors of Christian schools, colleges or universities in their communities, and drop them at their offices or in the mail with a special offer.

CHRISTIAN RETAILING: What else do Christian booksellers need to know about this market?

CROSBY: The store I ran in the ‘80s and ‘90s was two blocks from Indiana University, a Big 10 campus of some 40,000 students. I was privileged to engage with pastors and students about the kinds of issues and thinking and scholarship reflected in what we now would call “academic” books (though we didn’t then, often) and seeing the proverbial “light bulb” come on. ... Those readers are still out there. They are looking for someone to engage with them, and provide good books for their academic pursuits. CR

Christian stores have a unique asset in building the all-important sense of community

I  love bookstores. I never want to see them go away. I love the smell of a new book. I love the look of shelves covered with books. I love being in a bookstore, knowing that everyone else in the store feels the same way about books as I do. The bookstore is a community. A community of readers. A community of book lovers.

My small town is surrounded by other small towns. There are three small colleges nearby, each with a public-access university store. I can name three used-book shops, a comic shop and a Christian bookstore within driving distance.

Of these eight different businesses, only one fosters that feeling of community I so love. The college stores? Nope. Plenty of “school spirit,” but they’re pretty academic in nature. The used-book shops? They’re dark, stuffy and have the feel of a pair of shoes that you’ve kept for far too long. 

As a Christian, surely I’d feel at home in the Christian bookstore? Would that it were so. Instead, I feel self-conscious, like I’m being watched and judged by the section I’m perusing, being silently measured against some “piety chart” taped to the cash register.

But wait, there is one bookstore that has earned my business: my local comic book shop. I don’t read a lot of comics. Even as a kid I didn’t read many; I simply didn’t have the money. I’d occasionally get a few copies of X-Men or Superman or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at school or at a yard sale, but that was the extent of my comic exposure. 

So how is this store different? They have events with writers and artists. They do book signings. They have “hang out” events to tie in with any comic book movies playing at the theater in the same shopping center.

Most importantly, they connect with their customers. They don’t try to pitch me the latest Fathom or Witchblade books because they’ve taken the time to learn my tastes and respect my choices in entertainment. One of the guys who works there even sends me texts and pics when there’s a new Elseworlds or Atomic Robo book coming in.

A REASON TO CHOOSE

It’s not enough to simply be the bookshop on the corner (whether you’re a Christian bookshop, a chain store or an independent specialty store) anymore; you have to give people a reason to choose you over Amazon.com and the burgeoning e-book market.

What is your bookstore doing to connect with your customers? This isn’t something you have to spend a lot of money on, or even a lot of time—especially if your staff is passionate about the books you sell and the messages of hope and life they bring to people’s lives.

Despite what you may have read elsewhere, Borders was not a victim of some grand conspiratorial e-book revolution. No, Borders was a victim of its own success in the 1990s. 

The business grew rapidly, coming out of nowhere to become the second-largest bookstore chain in English-speaking markets. So what happened? Leaders spent too much time thinking about how to expand their 1990s’ business model and not enough time thinking about how to change into a 2010s’ model. 

Borders had some things right: Foster a community. But it also made some bad (read: very expensive) expansion investments based on an outdated business model. By the time Borders figured out the whole “community” thing, its massive debt was too crushing to be able to pull out from under it.

Borders didn’t die because it didn’t have customers. In many communities, Borders was the only bookstore—which opens a huge opportunity for new and existing independent book shops to spring up and thrive. The consumers didn’t go away. They’re still there and they’ll buy from whoever makes it the most pleasant purchasing experience.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIP

People don’t consciously think of the relationship they have with a store. But you, as a store owner, can’t afford not to think of that relationship. Your customers, and potential customers, will buy from the most visible storefront and the easiest/most gratifying shopping experience. 

Despite selling everything from bolts of fabric to laser printers, books are still Amazon.com’s bread and butter. The company prides itself on ease of purchase, being the low-price leader and being everything to everybody. 

But that’s not the beginning and end of running a successful business and the leaders there know that. They’re aggressively trying to be more social, trying to build a community through their discussion forums and their Shelfari initiative. But low prices and online forums aren’t everything—just ask Starbucks. The experience matters more than price.

What is the experience someone has with your store? From the moment they see your location from the street to parking their car to walking in the front door—what does your potential customer experience? If you doubt the power of experience, take a trip to your local Starbucks and look at the prices; people certainly aren’t going there for value on a cup of coffee. Everything about Starbucks says “We love coffee! And we know you love coffee! We all love coffee!” 

What if your store said the same thing about Jesus—before you or any of your employees ever greeted a customer?

OFFERING INSPIRATION

If you can’t be passionate and excited about something that the Lord is teaching you through a book, how can you expect to inspire others to do the same? 

As a Christian bookstore owner, when was the last time you shared a new book at your local church? How about at a local church that’s not your home church? “Face time” makes people comfortable. How much “face time” are you getting with potential customers? 

You can’t be afraid to approach your local pastors to ask them for pulpit time. If you ask and they turn you down, have you lost anything? (Look up Matt. 7:7 if you doubt this principle—this verse is even in red).

Because of their unique positions in the Christian community, Christian bookstores have unparalleled access to local churches. How large is your bookstore? Do you have room to host an interdenominational readers’ club? Or what about helping each of your local churches start their own book club?

Usually all it takes is planting the idea in one person who is excited about reading and the deeper things of God, and the rest will happen for you (as long as you keep in touch). Perhaps even offer a discount for multiple books purchased at once for a book club.

Something that Destiny Image does in working with authors is to get their itineraries: Where are they going to be speaking? Is there a bookstore near a church they will be speaking in? We try to arrange for signings in those book shops when an author is going to be nearby. It’s a challenge, and schedules rarely mesh, but when everything works together, it benefits everyone.

This is how you build a community: You get out there and meet people. If a Christian bookstore is your mission, then meet people where they are. Sometimes this means being open different hours. Sometimes it means a different location. Sometimes it means continuing to do what you’re already doing. Every community is a little different. CR

Destiny Image has greatly expanded through the years from its initial structure, with the original offices now suites for Destiny Image Films.

AUDIO: Demand is still strong for audiobooks despite looming ‘digital cliff’

BY TODD HOYT, chief executive officer, eChristian

Much has been made recently in the national news regarding the “fiscal cliff” in front of us as a country. The automatic cuts in spending and increase in taxes has created such a “cliff” that if we go over it, there will be irreparable damage to the U.S. economy.

Much has been made of a “digital cliff” ahead of us as well. The digital cliff represents the thinking that physical products will cease to exist and that the world will only consume digital products and negate the need for physical retail stores.

In retailing, sales data continues to show a migration from physical to digital. This is true in books and true in audio. But there is more to the story beneath the surface.

Audiobooks have some similarities to the issues that face print: cannibalization of physical sales, medium- to higher-priced retail titles facing severe pressure and declining retail shelf space. How do we as a publisher and you as a retailer work to address these important issues?

In the case of audiobooks, the good news is that consumer demand is strong and growing, and audiobook consumers tend to remain among the most active and repeat customers. While the 2012 Audio Publishers Association Sales Survey shows a slight decline in physical sales units, the revenue from CDs is still 53%, more than half of the  audio market. There is and will continue to be a demand for CD audiobooks, and the revenue is healthy. The number-one consumer of audiobooks is the commuter, and most commuters tend to listen through their car CD player.

So, here are some ideas:

Selection. As mentioned, audiobook purchasers tend to consume quite a few audiobooks (and regular books, for that matter). Stock and display a variety of genres and price points that are similar to the print books your store is successful with.

Suggestive selling. The primary reason that a book consumer has not purchased an audiobook is because they hadn’t thought about it. Many people want to read more, but cannot fit it into their day. Listening while driving, exercising or relaxing is another way to engage more of the great content from leading Christian writers.

Sale. Running promotions and sales is a surefire way to attract customers to this category. Retail audiobook pricing has come down in the last several years. In fact, christianaudio has more than 20 titles from popular authors (John Maxwell, John Piper, Stormie Omartian, Beverly Lewis) that start at just $5.98, and most retail-priced titles range from $15 to $25.

Service. Nothing is more important than a knowledgeable salesperson. Most audiobook publishers are willing to sample audiobooks to accounts specifically so salespeople can better understand the distinctives and unique qualities of audiobooks.

Sound. When I am in Christian stores, I tend to hear music from leading Christian artists. Have you ever considered playing an audiobook or audio Bible? Playing a dramatized audio Bible or The Screwtape Letters or the latest releases from Karen Kingsbury, Francis Chan or Max Lucado would show the variety available and introduce a captive audience to another reason to come back into your store.

Audiobooks need to be a part of your overall strategy to retain your customer, grow sales and become a destination.

Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling took the Audio category for eChristian in last year’s Retailers Choice Awards.

Editor’s note: Christian Retailing asked Retailers Choice Awards winners from 2012 to look ahead to the coming year in their particular product category. We share these segments with you online and in print in our January and February issues.

New products releasing for the crucial holiday season

In preparation for the important Christmas season, Christian retailers will want to have in stock key new products. Among the new releases for 2011 are some from best-selling authors and others likely to become children’s favorites.

Gary Chapman—family therapist and New York Times best-selling author of The Five Love Languages—has teamed up with radio host and award-winning author Chris Fabry for the September release A Marriage Carol (978-0-802-40264-6, $14.99, Moody Publishers), a seasonal novella on what it will take to restore a dying marriage. 

Having previously joined forces to bring marriage principles to fiction in his “The Four Seasons of a Marriage” series (Tyndale House Publishers) with Catherine Palmer, Chapman now looks to the Christmas season for the setting in which he and Fabry take readers on a special imaginary visit. 

Characters Marlee and Jacob find themselves in an accident on the way to a lawyer’s office to dissolve their marriage. Marlee walks away from the scene, and with Jacob nowhere to be found, she ends up invited into a home with a door-knocker the shape of a wedding ring. The old man there claims the three golden pots on the hearth inside are used to restore marriages, so Marlee begins a journey through her past, present and future.

Personality editions popular with serious Bible students

Bibles featuring well-known personalities are more than just about big names, as the subcategory is a strong segment for publishers and retailers. Publishers have produced editions featuring Bible-study content from a who’s who of Christian leaders such as Charles Ryrie, C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, Charles Stanley and Joel Osteen.  

Personality, specialty or name Bibles are “a significant category,” said Bob Sanford, vice president and associate publisher of Thomas Nelson’s Bible group. He estimated that approximately half of Nelson’s overall Bible sales are from the category.

 ‘LONG-STANDING BEST-SELLERS’

Since the 1970s, Nelson has published at least 17 personality Bibles, including John MacArthur’s The MacArthur Study Bible, The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, Max Lucado’s The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible, John Maxwell’s The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Jack Hayford’s New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Richard Lee’s The American Patriot’s Bible and T.D. Jakes’ Holy Bible, Woman Thou Art Loosed! Edition. With combined sales of Nelson’s name Bibles at almost 5 million copies, they are among the publisher’s “long-standing best-sellers,” Sanford said.

Web Copy That Sells: The Revolutionary Formula for Creating Killer Copy Every Time  

by Maria Veloso (Amacom)

 Of course, Christian books affect my business the most, but this is the one that has made the most significant difference for my company in the past year.

It was recommended to me by Dale Anderson and John Fallahee at AMG Publishers. They said: “If you follow Veloso’s steps, your emails will double their sales.” 

I admit, I was skeptical, but I bought the book and implemented Veloso’s principles. Right away, our emails brought in two to five times more business.

Then I started using the techniques in business correspondence and printed ads. Again our sales increased dramatically.

 Veloso says that almost anyone can write better Web copy and better emails, even if they aren’t naturally good writers. She lays out several steps to doing this. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to forget the emotional part of the sale. 

In a nutshell, she helps you discipline your writing techniques: What is the customer’s problem? What are the painful consequences of that problem? Why hasn’t that problem been solved already? What does your product have or do that solves the problem and why is it the best? 

We own several copies of Web Copy That Sells and wouldn’t write an email or a Web page without it. Even though fewer people are opening emails this year, it doesn’t matter: Veloso’s copywriting technique increased responses and our sales went up.

Echo smartpen (Livescribe)

I’m not an early adopter. I’m a busy person who doesn’t have time to mess with new gadgets. I hate facing a long learning curve.

But Livescribe is so easy to use, it can be functional in just five minutes. The instructions that come in the box couldn’t be easier. (Can you tap on a square that says “Tap Here”?)

Livescribe is perfect for people who like to take handwritten notes, and yet want them on a computer to save and search them later. I am often in meetings where notetaking via laptop would be rude, so Livescribe is perfect for this. 

No scanner is needed. I simply write on the special dot paper—it comes in a journal like Moleskine or a less expensive spiral-bound notebook. Then, connect the pen to the computer and the page automatically shows up. This page can be saved to your computer, emailed, sent to Evernote, posted on Facebook. And yes, it does handwriting recognition. Text is searchable.  

Best yet, you can go back later to that same page and add notes in the margin. Next time you connect your pen to the computer, it will update that page. No need to search for the page and delete it first.